Art of transmitting bodies by means of electromagnets.



nu. 681,999. Patented sapt. 3, |901. J. P. swlr'r.

ART 0F TRANSIITTING BODIES BY MEANS 0F ELECTBUIAGNETS.

(pplicltion Med la. 10, 1900.)

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Patented Sept. 3, |90I. J. P. SWIFT.

ART 0F TBMISIITTING BUDIES BY .EMIS 0F ELECTBDIAGNETS.

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(Application illod kyk 10l 1900.)

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No. 6a|,999. l Patented sept'. 3, |901'. J. P. swlFT.

ART OFATRANSIITTING BODIES BY IEANS 0F ELECTRUIAGNETS.

(Applicstion lnd Sept. 10, 1900.)

(llo Model.) l 3 Sheets-Shui 3.

S14/imma Jokfvl? aftO'b Lis" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN P. SWIFT, OF PAIVTUOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

ART 0F TRANSMITTING BODIES BY MEANS 0F ELECTROMAGNETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 681,999, datedSeptember 3, 1901. Application filed September l0, 1900. Serial No,29,512. (No modeLl To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN P. SWIFT, a citi- Zen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Transmitting Bodies byMeans of Electromagnets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of transmitting bodies from one point toanother in a predetermined course by means of electromagnets, all ofwhich may be movable or some movable and some fixed; and the purpose ofmy invention is to provide a means of transmitting from one point toanother in a predetermined course of any desired direction an armature,together with any object or matter that may be attached thereto or Xedthereon, such transmission being accomplished by means of themagnetization and demagnetization of one or more movable electromagnetsworking in conjunction with each other or in conjunction with one ormore fixed electromagnets, such armature being in actual engagement withthe poles of said magnets.

My invention consists, substantially, in the arrangement along thecourse in which it is desired to transmit the body or bodies of a seriesof electromagnets or a series of groups of electromagnets having theirpole-pieces milled out in such a form as to iit the body desired to betransmitted or to tit an armature, to which such body may be attached.These electromagnets may be all movable by revolving about a centralshaft or may be movable reciprocally or may be movable in an oscillatorymannen-that is, may revolve through a portion of an arc of. a circle andback again.

Other forms of arrangement or kinds of movement embodying my inventionmay be used, the essential element of which is the arrangement ofmagnets having pole-pieces adapted to receive, hold, and transmit byactual engagement the body to be transmitted or an armature to whichsaid body may be attached, and to release by demagnetization said bodyeither into a suitable receptable or to the pole-piece or pole-pieces ofan adjacent magnet at predetermined intervals.

Figure l is a plan of mechanism by which my improved method may becarried out.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan of a modified arrangement. Fig. 3 is asideelevation of the mechanism of Fig. 2, and Fig.l i is an inverted plan.

The same characters refer to the same parts throughout the variousviews.

Fig. 1 represents a device in which two or more magnets oscillatethrough approximately a half-circle and operate in conjunction withfixed magnets situated midway bctween such oscillating magnets.

In said Fig. 1, l and 2 represent end views of two electromagnetsattached to arms A I3, which are pivoted at '7 and 8, respectively, andhave their pole-pieces 5 5 and 5' 5', respectively, adapted to fit theobject to be transmitted, which is represented by 4. This object 4 maybe a magnetic body itself, or may be an armature to which the body to betransmitted may be attached. 3 is a fixed electromagnet having itspole-pieces 6 6 of the same shape as the electromagnets l and 2. Themagnet 1 is made to oscillate about its center 7 and is so magnetized bymeans of suitable commutators that the body 4 is held in engagementduring the entire movement of 1 through its arc until 4f enters thepolepieces of the fixed magnet Zhen the travel of 1 is ended, it isdemagnetized and the magnet 3 becomes charged at the same instant, andthis retains the armature 4: in position until the magnet 2, revolvingthrough its arc, reaches said armature and receives it into thepole-pieces 5' 5'. 2 is then magnetized and 3 demagnetized, and 2 thenreverses its course, bearing the armature 4C along to either anotherfixed magnet or to such other point as it is desired to carry it in thearc of 2. This process may be repeated indefinitely by the meremultiplication of parts, the course of the body attached to the armaturet being determined by the position of the shafts 7 S, &c.,.to which themagnets 1 and 2 are attached.

A simple mechanism for controlling the magnets in Fig. l comprises thethree blocks c b c, over which the vibrating switch-lever S is moved bythe cam C and connecting-bar S. The cam C is provided with agroove C',

into which projects a pin s, carried by the bar S', the said bar havingone end bifurcated The groove to straddle the axis of the cam.

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'c and demagnetize armature 3 at the instant the arm B has brought itspole-piece 5' into engagement with the armature 4, so as to magnetizearmature 2, and so on. The mechanism for actuating-gears a b is notshown.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent my invention applied to an arrangement ofrevolving electromagnets. In these iigures the electromagnets arearranged in groups of four, each group being mounted upon'a centralshaft and revolving continuously. The pole-pieces in this arrangementare milled out, so as to receive an armature of cylindrical form, asshown. In these figures 12 12 14 14,&c., are the electromagnets havingtheir pole-pieces milled out, as shown, at 12 12' 14 14', &c. Thesegroups of magnets are xed on revolving heads 10 10', &c., and are soarranged with reference to each other that as they revolve about theirrespective axes in the direction of the arrows the depression in thepole-pieces of any magnet in one group comes exactly opposite thedepression in the polepieces of a magnet of the adjacent group. 1l 11,&c., are the armatures to be transmitted. The commutators 15 of thevarious 1, bodies through a predetermined course,which consists inarranging a series of rotary groups lof magnets in the order or coursedesired= fthen magnetizin'g certain magnets of one semagnets are soarranged that magnet 14 receives from the magnet of an adjacent group anarmature, to which is attached the body to be transmitted. At the momentof receiving it the magnet 14 is magnetized and continues magnetizedduring its revolution until it reaches the magnet 12 of the nextadjacent group. As soon as the pole-pieces of the two magnets 14 of onegroup and 12 of the other group come opposite each other the current isout 0E from the magnet 14 and turned onto the magnet 12, which thenseizes the armature and bears it around the halfcircle or any desiredarc until it is seized by a magnet of the next group, and thus borne onthrough any desired course. The comand receive the current for themagnets 12 14 from the brushes 16, which are supplied through theircarrier-plates 16 from the conductors 17', which connect said plates.The rotary heads 10 10' are continuously rotated in plate B by theirconnecting gear-wheels 17, one of which is driven from any suitablesource of power. (Not shown.) The cornlnutators being segmental androtating past the three brusheswill cause the necessary break todemagnetize the magnets at the proper time for them to release thearmature when it is delivered to the pole-pieces of a magnet of the nextseries.

It Will readily appear that my invention is applicable not only to themechanism shown in the figures, but also to any case where a body of anysize or shape is required to move through a given course.

The two forms of mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 for makingand breaking the various circuits form no part of the present invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. The process of transmitting a body or bodies from one point toanother, which consists in placing a movable magnet in proper relationto a second magnet, then energizing the first magnet to cause it toattract and hold said body till brought to said second magnet, and thenenergizing the second magnet and demagnetizing the first-named magnet.

2. The process of transmitting a body or ries to attract and hold thebody or bodies to be transmitted until said body or bod-ies is or arebrought to a magnet of the next group,

then demagnetizing the said magnet of the Iirst group and energizing themagnet of the second group and maintaining such energiz- Signed atPawtucket this 8th day of September, 1900.

JOHN P. SWIFT. Witnesses:

EDWARD W. BLODGETT, FLORENCE E. BATES.

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